Caldwell

Formed December 13, 1836 (52^nd county)

Caldwell County (8,813), Kingston (296), Hamilton (1,689)

The red brick and stone French Chateau courthouse was built in 1898.  It sits in a square at Main, Washington, Broadway, and Franklin streets.  Washington Street is Missouri State Highway 13 in the town.  The facility features a tower/dome with a gazebo and wooden ramp on the outside.  L. Grant Middaugh is the building designer.  There were earlier courthouses dating from 1836, 1843, 1854, and 1861.  Far West was the first county seat until 1842 when Kingston assumed the position.  Caldwell County was created on December 13, 1836 from Native American Territory as the 52^nd county.  The county is named for Caldwell County, Kentucky.  The county seat is named for Governor Austin A. King. 

Caldwell County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a collector, a coroner, an assessor and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  One Circuit Court Judge serves Caldwell, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb, and Livingston counties and One County Court Judge and a court clerk serve Caldwell County (judicial.) The county is situated in the northwest part of the state.  Kansas City, Missouri is southwest and Saint Louis, Missouri is southeast of the county.  The county center is 4 miles Northeast of Kingston.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Daviess, Livingston, Carroll, Ray, Clinton, and De Kalb counties. 

The area of the county is 429 square miles.  It is 102 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 90 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 20.5 persons per square mile making it 79 out of 115 in the state.  Caldwell County has 44.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 36 crosses the county east to west from Livingston County to De Kalb County.  The county is a rectangle.  Kingston is in the western third of the county.  Hamilton is near the northern border of the county.  Kingston is the county seat and Hamilton is the largest city.  Kingston is 3.4% of the county population while Hamilton is 19.2% of the county population.  This county is in the Kansas City Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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